Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1887-01-15
AMERICAN I~LLIBERALISM.
Written for the Tribune:
(Continued tlom last 1eek.,

a ttsSSt -
(Continued .from last 1eek.)
But if he appreciates not the value OF
liberty, improves not the golden opportu-
nity that lies before him, and falls behind
in the advancing rank OF civilization ne
has no one to blame but himself. Then let
us give the negro a chance, let him enjoy
those privileges which we claim for our
selves, untrammelled by prejudice and
free from envy and scorn. Upon the cor
,ner-stone of the American Constitution
our forefathers cut the precious principle
Equality Of Rights,"-a principle thatthe
experience Of years has taught IN many q
hard learned lesson to be the foundation
rock Of every free and liberal government,
fbe basis of all progress and advancing
civilization. Let Us Gerry out IN DEED ana
fact. let US give life and meaning to this
noble precept of our fathers and. h U
prove ourselves true to a principle that has
been won for Us and our posterity by the
countless hardships and untold sacrifices
of wears and centuries. The same spirit
Of narrow prejudice that we entertain Tor
the sable citizens of the South, we cherish
for the yellow coolies Of the West. We
deride their customs, scorn their rights,
hate their presence. And why: 1t is the
old question of blood and belief. From
this spirit the horrors of the lnqulsitlon
sprung. 1t was this spirit that frightened
the t~humb-screw and worked the rack,
that kindled the fagots and famed the
flames of torture, that delighted in the
pains OF the martyr and rejoiced in his
~soonies of death, that in all ages has chain
ed the limbs and dashed the backs Of slaves,
that has justified all the cruelsies OF per-
~secution and slavery by an appeal to It's
bigotrv. superstition and conceit. Yet Tar
more d~iscreditable than u regard for for
eign nations. far more disreputable and
apprehensive than u prejudice against
the Negroes and Chinese, is that spirit of
illiberalism that manifests itself IN our
government and our politics. This bold
and hungry spirit seeks its realization, la
bors for its satiation, through a general and
unceasing cry for Neutrality-suspicious.
for things of protection and things OF well
fare, things Of labor and things of capital,
things of diet and things of drink, things
Of sense and things Of nonsense, things
conceived by genius and advanced by abll-
ity, things born Of ignorance and sustained
by stupidity, things believed by cranks
and preached by fanatics; and thus from
every nook and corner Of the land, from
every business trade and profession, come
the yandals of illiberalism marching over
the outworks of individual right, over the
choicest flowers of freedom, marching to-
ward the realm of socialism, toward the
sitting cline of retrogression and death
Beneath the shadow Of such a noxlous sen
timent, entwined by the parasites OF mar
rowness and greed, the oak Of liberty can
never flourish. Upon the four pillars OF
prejudice of race and intolerance of belief,
s%elfshness Of politics, and jealousy OF for
%eigners, a staple republican government
can never stand, individual liberty can
never be secure. Such was not the gov
ernment, not the principles for which the
patriots fought, and the heroes died.
Theirs was a government of Individuals
of free independent men. Theirs the prin-
ciple that cherished the right of freedom
for themselves, and respected in others
the self-same right; that recognized and re-
warded merit and worth whether due to
the negro monaghan or white. Such to-
day is the government that America needs.
She needs one pervaded by a healthy, lib
eral, cosmopolitan sentiment; one that will
allow every mortal within the bounds Of
her supremacy to develop himself to his
fullest capacity, untrammelled by legisla-
ton, unscathed by prejudice, free from
obloquy and scorn. 0, may she give more
for the eternal principle of Liberty, Fra
ternity and Equality of right, more for one
breath of enlightened freedom, more for a
spark Of independent manhood than a vast
universe of socialism, atfluenee and gloom!
E.
WASHINGTON LETTER.